Ask Without Fear DVD in Fundraising Success Magazine

I'm thrilled to have been interviewed in this month's Fundraising Success Magazine in title called "Making an Ask? Get R.E.A.L.!" (I love that title!)

Check it out. I talk about sales calls and overcoming objections! :)

The article is at Making an Ask? Get R.E.A.L.!.

I'm committed to making it ridiculously easy for people to get fundraising training. This DVD and Resource CD is part of that. And now, if you buy the DVD you get a free lifetime membership to the online video site! Check it out at www.FundraisingCoachDVDs.com.

Ask Without Fear DVD is must for your training library

Joanne Fritz, About.com's Guide of the nonprofit section, posted a review of the Ask Without Fear DVD on her blog.


Here's a sample:

I particularly liked the section on making the ask, since I, like many people, have a run-for-the-door fear of looking a donor in the eye and asking him or her for actual money. I loved Marc's imitation of what many of us do, which is to forget to remain silent and then start backing down, ending with something like, "Oh, never mind, forget I said that, I'm sorry, just let me sneak out of here right now." Thankfully, Marc has a solution for that sort of disaster that is reassuring to those of us who cave under pressure.

She also says "This DVD is definitely something to add to your training library."

You can read the full review here:
http://nonprofit.about.com/b/2011/03/21/the-fundraising-coach-scores-with-ask-without-fear-dvd.htm

Update: The publishers of the Ask Without Fear DVD set are now offering the videos and resources online! Find out more at: www.FundraisingCoachDVDs.com.

"Ask Without Fear!" featured in New Zealand's Tonic Magazine!

 

It's wonderful to see how far Ask Without Fear! is traveling!

This month it was featured in Tonic Magazine, put out by the very cool New Zealand fundraising training firm Exult.

If you happen to be in New Zealand in November 2010, check out Exult's website. They're booking me for four trainings around the country!

Skowhegan Rotary 3/2 at noon

I'm honored to be presenting my "Ask Without Fear in 20 minutes" at the Skowhegan Rotary Club on Tuesday, March 2 at noon.

Apparently, they meet at the Heritage House.

Fundraising Coach speaking in Seattle October 8

I'm honored to be presenting the keynote at the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Marketing Association lunch on October 8. They've even offered me a book signing of "Ask Without Fear!" at the luncheon location, the flagship REI store in downtown Seattle!

Pretty appropriate for a guy who's tagline is "Fundraising is an extreme sport!"

If you'll be in the area, we'd love to have you join us. More information is available at:
http://www.psama.org/events/event_detail.aspx?id=88

Fundraising Training in 20 minutes up for SlideShare's World's Best Presentation Contest!

World's Best Presentation Contest 2009

Would you vote for my "Ask Without Fear! Fundraising Training in 20 minutes" as a "best presentation" in SlideShare's contest?

These 20 slides were created for a presentation to a local Rotary club. I love doing fundraising training! This one is meant to demystify fundraising and remove the fear!

You can vote by clicking on the image above or by going to:
http://www.slideshare.net/marcapitman/ask-without-fear-fundraising-training-in-20-minutes.

Fundraising Coach featured as a top Twitter strategy

David Hale lists my use of Twitter to sell marred or damaged copies of Ask Without Fear! as one of "3 Top Twitter Tips" on Examiner.com.

Check out the story to read about how I use Twitter to sell otherwhise unsellable books and how two other companies use it to raise brand awareness: 3 top Twitter tips, strategies and techniques to attract customers and marketing presence.

New "Ask Without Fear!" Reviews from AHP

In a recent email, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy recently included three reviews of Ask Without Fear!:

Ask without Fear can be read in a short period of time and is well worth the effort. Although much of the content may not be “news” to seasoned fund raising professionals, a quick review is always beneficial. I found myself underlining phrases and making a few notes in the margin. There is sound wisdom here as well as making us stop and think about what is the most important facet of our jobs—people.

— Marilyn Parker, Operations and Planned Giving Director
Benefis Healthcare Foundation


This primer offers helpful acronyms, charts and stories to guide the novice development director along the path to fundraising success. The book is not for trustees or donors but for the early-career fundraiser. Perhaps the most valuable element of the book is the author’s stories, which like every good fundraiser, Pitman has in abundance and uses to good effect. One would hope that future editions include information missing here. Pitman is one of the few fundraiser-cognoscenti of the new social media, such as Twitter. A discussion of this topic and its relevance to fundraising would make a helpful addition to the book.

— Gary Jaworski, Executive Director
American Hospital of Paris Foundation

This 90 page book is quick, easy to read and engaging; a good read for volunteers or development professionals. It has a number of myth busters, tips and addresses to useful tools on the web; however not all the websites listed were still available. The last chapter introduced the use of personality profiles in fund raising and this topic is difficult to cover fully in a short chapter. The book does an effective job of outlining the research and strategies that should be employed in all types of fund raising.

— Mark Larkin, CFRE, Executive Director
Centracare Health Foundation

FREE "Ask Without Fear!" Teleclass

Since this month marks the 1 year anniversary of the publication of "Ask Without Fear!", I'm deciding to have a party!

On April 28 at 12 noon Eastern Time, I'll be offering a free teleclass on fundraising in today's economy.

To join the call, you just need to go to the registration page.

The call costs $37 but you can get in free if you know the "password": the fourth word of the second paragraph on page 50 of "Ask Without Fear!" (In the ebook, page 50 is "52 of 98.) If you have the Kindle version, it's the fourth word at location 1047.)

This call will be part class, part roundtable. I'll be sharing some strategies that are working but there will be plenty of time for group coaching as well!

We'd love to have you join us! Just go to the registration page.

This call will be recorded and available for purchase afterwards.

Great fundraising advice from Ted Hart of People to People Fundraising

Yesterday, I was honored to interview Ted Hart, creator of People to People Fundraising, p2pfundraising.org.

In this hour long interview, Ted covers a variety of topics, including:

• the importance of the CFRE
  
• why he says 21st fundraising is going back to its orgins
  
• why it's often the staff's fault that our board members aren't good at fundraising
  
• some common website mistakes he sees nonprofits around the world making
  
• and why social media is a great nonprofit tool, but a lousy place for nonprofits to start
  

This is one interview you have to hear. You'll learn things that can help your nonprofit work today, including the one thing Ted recommends you do now!

To hear the full conversation, go to the "Ask Without Fear!" Radio Show at http://fundraisingcoach.com/radio-show/

"Ask Without Fear!" featured in The Rotarian

 

Marc and his fundraising book are both featured in the January issue of The Rotarian, a magazine that goes to 500,000 Rotarians in North America.

Part of the article includes:

People intimidated by the idea of fundraising, Pitman says, should keep in mind that the exciting part is what the fundraising leads to. “There are two dangers for nonprofits,” he says. “One is that they go down the road of not funding their mission, and then they can’t accomplish anything and they fall apart. The other is that they become this fundraising machine and get so good at fundraising that they forget their mission.”

Read the entire article at The Rotarian's website.

Greg Baldwin, founder of VolunteerMatch.org, on the Ask Without Fear! Radio Show

I am pleased to announce that Greg Baldwin, founder of VolunteerMatch.org will be my guest Tuesday on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show!

Join us as we talk about volunteering, something that will become increasingly important as donors feel the economic slow down, and creative ideas on how to fundraise for a nonprofit that wants to do for volunteering what eBay did for yardsales. Click on BlogTalkRadio.com at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 25 to join in the fun. This is a LIVE show so be prompt!

You can listen be either:

1. going to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/marcapitman or


2. calling the calling (347) 996-5931.

The show is free but if you choose to call, your telephone company will charge the same long distance charges that you'd pay to call your Aunt Ethel in NYC. I hope you can listen in!

Feel free to send me any questions you have for Greg by simply replying to this email.

The show will be recorded so you can listen to it anytime you want. The link will also be available at:
http://fundraisingcoach.com/radio-show/

AWF on the shelf at Borders

Wednesday, I signed more copies of Ask Without Fear! at the Border's in Bangor, ME. That's why they've got those nifty "autographed copy" stickers in the corner!

Here are some pictures of them right smack in the middle of the management section! As you can see, it's in very good company!

Fundraising Coach on CBC's "Definitely Not the Opera"

Burning some more of my 15 minutes in the spotlight, I was included in a segment on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Definitely Not the Opera.

A podcast of the best parts, perhaps including my segment, is available at http://www.cbc.ca/dnto.

Ask Without Fear! mentioned in CA newspaper article

Thanks to Google News Alerts, I found out I was quoted in the Yuba Prospector. The article is sensationally called: Charities Left Squirming to Stay Alive.

I was never contacted. And I didn't say all that I'm quoted saying. I certainly didn't suggest nonprofits stop innovating!! But I guess it gets the word out about Ask Without Fear!!

Ask Without Fear! LIVE on 92Moose this morning

It was an honor to be on the 92Moose morning show today. We talked about the Ask Without Fear! LIVE fundraising seminar I'm doing this Saturday in Waterville, ME.

Click here to listen to the 4 minute interview with Jon James (and laughter by Renee Nelson).

REGISTER NOW for "Ask Without Fear!" LIVE fundraising training on 9/13

I'm thrilled to announce a brand new fundraising seminar: Ask Without Fear! LIVE!

There's still time to register for this full day fundraising seminar that will be held in Waterville, ME on Saturday, September 13. Why a Saturday? Because the most important people--our board members and volunteers--work day jobs. It's easier to get volunteers and boards to a Saturday event!

The Ask Without Fear! book is intentionally slim. This week's full-day seminar expands on each of the "Get R.E.A.L." steps, gives remarkably practical ideas for fundraising, and makes them approachable for nonprofit staff and boards of trustees or volunteers.

We're going to have a blast. And, we're going to do it at a bargain. This type of full day training normally costs $500 or $600. It's certainly worth it! These tools will help you raise far more than that.

But for this seminar is being offered for only $127, including breakfast and lunch.

For all the details, including a list of some of the things you'll learn, go to: http://fundraisingcoach.com/awf-LIVE/.

Hurry, space is limited! Register today!

REGISTER for "Ask Without Fear!" LIVE!! on September 13

I'm thrilled to announce a brand new fundraising seminar: Ask Without Fear! LIVE!

There's still time to register for this full day fundraising seminar that will be held in Waterville, ME on Saturday, September 13. Why a Saturday? Because the most important people--our board members and volunteers--work day jobs. It's easier to get volunteers and boards to a Saturday event!

The Ask Without Fear! book is intentionally slim. This week's full-day seminar expands on each of the "Get R.E.A.L." steps and makes them approachable for nonprofit staff and boards of trustees or volunteers.

We're going to have a blast. And, we're going to do it at a bargain. This type of full day training normally costs $500 or $600. It's certainly worth it! These tools will help you raise far more than that.

But for this seminar is being offered for only $127, including breakfast and lunch.

For all the details, including a list of some of the things you'll learn, go to: http://fundraisingcoach.com/awf-LIVE/.

Hurry, space is limited! Register today!

Free Fundraising Q&A Saturday, 8/23

I'm thrilled to be having a free fundraising question and answer time at the Borders Books & Music in Bangor this Saturday from 1 pm to 2 pm.

If you live in Central Maine, would you consider downloading this 8.5 x 11 fundraising promotional poster and putting it up around your town?

8/23 Borders Books & Music hosting "Ask Without Fear!" book signing

The Bangor Borders Books & Music is hosting a book signing at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 23.

Come get your copy of Ask Without Fear! signed by me. Or get copies for your entire board of trustees.

And come with any and all fundraising questions! I love helping fellow fundraisers!